The Muppets
The Muppets are a group of puppet characters known for an absurdist, burlesque and self-referential style of variety-sketch comedy. Having been created in 1955 by Jim Henson, they are the namesake for the Disney media franchise that encompasses films, television series, music recordings, print publications, and other media associated with The Muppet Show characters. Henson once stated that the term "Muppet" had been created as a portmanteau of the words "marionette" and "puppet", but also claimed that it was actually a word he had coined.1 The Muppets debuted on the television program Sam and Friends, which aired locally on WRC-TV in Washington, D.C. from 1955 to 1961. After appearing on skits in several late night talk shows and advertising commercials during the 1960s, Henson's Muppets began appearing on Sesame Street when that show debuted in 1969. The Muppets then became the stars of multiple television series and films, including; The Muppet Show (1976–1981), The Muppet Movie (1979), The Great Muppet Caper (1981), The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984), and The Jim Henson Hour (1989). After Henson's death in 1990, The Muppets continued their presence in television and cinema with Muppets Tonight (1996–98), a series continuation of The Muppet Show, and three films, The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), Muppet Treasure Island (1996), Muppets from Space (1999); the former two were co-produced with Disney, who sought to acquire the characters since the late 1980s. In 2004, The Walt Disney Company purchased the rights to The Muppets (except for the Sesame Street characters, which were sold separately to Sesame Workshop, as well as Fraggle Rock and other characters retained by The Jim Henson Company),234 and later formed The Muppets Studio; a division created specifically for managing The Muppets franchise. Disney re-branded the franchise beginning in 2008, in anticipation of the seventh film, The Muppets.56 The film, written by Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller and directed by James Bobin, was released by Walt Disney Pictures on November 23, 2011, and met with critical acclaim and commercial success.7 An eighth film, Muppets Most Wanted, was released on March 21, 2014.8 Appearances 1983 - Louise Gold, Tim Jones and David Barclay perform three Podlings doing a podling dance on the evening of the UK premiere of The Dark Crystal. They let us see the performers and show us how they perform. September 22, 1986 - Jim Henson and Kermit the Frog guests. Jim shows how Kermit works with rods on his arms and they discuss Muppet Babies then show a clip. May 16, 1990 - A tribute to Jim Henson by showing his Blue Peter interview from the September 22, 1986 show. December 10, 1992 - behind the scenes of The Muppet Christmas Carol. Gonzo narrates the feature. Karen Prell performs Aretha singing carols. Polly Smith talks about the costumes. Fozzie talks to presenter. Rizzo points her in the right direction to find Kermit. Presenter Dianne Louise Jordan finds Kermit and interviews him. Michael Caine talks about the movie and Bean Bunny's scene being his favorite part. March 31, 1994 – Behind the scenes of The Secret Life of Toys 1995 - Promotion for Jim Henson's Muppets Monsters and Magic with Muppet puppets in the Blue Peter studio. 1996 – Behind the scenes of Muppet Treasure Island. April, 2006 - Kermit (dressed as Reporter Kermit) reporting the London Marathon. October 10, 2007 - Miss Piggy guests. February 9, 2012 - Kermit and Piggy give Valentine tips. March 27, 2014 - behind the scenes of Muppets Most Wanted. Category:Guests